April 10, 2008 – Yesterday on my way into work I was listening to a discussion on the CBC about the CBC’s decision to discontinue the CBC orchestra and decision to change the programming of the classical station, CBCRadioTwo, to include jazz and light pop. One of the questions being put to the panel of two was whether classical music was still relevant today? My career background is in museology so of course I whole heartedly believe that current culture has a lot to gain from past and historical arts. Then I thought of my little one who, with here father, drive me to the shop on Saturday mornings before they head out for their day together. We listen to CBC2 on the drive in and play “orchestra”. We wave our arms in the air in turn with the music and “conduct” and talk about the instruments we hear. She cracks up at the high “tweets” of flutes and the “booms” of the drums. It is such a joy to look in the mirror and see her little arms flitting (is that a word?) about like a conductor. I can’t wait until she is old enough that I can take her to the Symphony and the Ballet. Just like I can’t wait to take her to an all ages punk rock show. Anyway, if this issue gets your goat….there is a protest happening tomorrow, Friday, April 11. Details below.

*”Raise a Ruckus for Radio Two!” *

A National Day of Action to save Radio 2 and the CBC Orchestra

Friday, April 11, 2008

9:00am – 1:30pm

Canada’s oldest, most venerable national orchestra and only radio orchestra has been axed by CBC Radio music chief Mark Steinmetz. Since 1938, the CBC Radio Orchestra has been an integral part of Canada’s music scene, and an important part of our cultural heritage. This last radio orchestra in North America has contributed to a deep and broad archive of classical recordings in Canadian music.

A NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION DEMONSTRATION WILL TAKE PLACE NEXT FRIDAY, APRIL 11th.

Can we expand this protest to every CBC installation across the country? Do you dare to take a portion of your lunch hour to travel to the CBC centre in YOUR community to call for an end to the cutting of classical music programming and infrastructure? Can we make it a rolling protest, that hits every time zone, one after the other (half an hour later in Newfoundland)?

Here are the addresses and times:

9am PST: Victoria: 1025 Pandora Avenue

9am PST: Vancouver: 775 Cambie Street

10am MST: Calgary: 1724 Westmount Blvd. NW

10am MST: Edmonton: 23 Edmonton City Centre, 10062-102nd Avenue

11am CST: Regina: 2440 Broad Street

11am CST: Winnipeg: 541 Portage Avenue

11am CST: Thunder Bay: 213 East Miles Street

12pm EST: Toronto: 250 Front Street West

12pm EST: Sudbury: 15 MacKenzie Street

12pm EST: Windsor:825 Riverside Drive West

12pm EST: Ottawa: 181 Queen Street, Ottawa

Meet at Sparks Street entrance

12pm EST: Montreal: 1400 Rene Levesque East

1pm AST: Fredericton: 1160 Regent Street

1pm AST: Saint John: 560 Main Street

1pm AST: Moncton: 250 University Avenue

1pm AST: Halifax: 1601 South Park

1pm AST: Charlottetown: 430 University Avenue

1:30pm NST: St John’s: 25 Henry Street

Over 100 people showed up in Vancouver. If we can get even 100 to show up at each CBC station we will have made a huge statement.